Rame

Cornwall Information & Accommodation Guide

Rame Church

Rame is a parish (Maker with Rame) and village hidden away in Cornwall's south eastern corner on the peninsula which gets its name from the parish.

The pretty church is lit by candlelight, one of the few in Cornwall with a spire on its tower. The church dates from the 13th century and is dedicated to St Germanus (St Germans). It has carved fifteenth century bench ends. Viewable from the sea, the spire was a landmark for shipping traversing this coast.

On the road from the church to Rame Head the lane zig zags in a double curve. In recent years, the local administration tried to acquire the land to straighten out these curves but the land owner refused to sell saying 'Not over my dead body'.

When the land owner died he made sure that his wishes would be kept, having changed his religion so he could be buried on the land through which the new road would have passed. His overgrown grave is a testament to his determination.

Rame Pound House is still viewable. The barn was used to impound livestock which was found straying in the parish and the animals would be held here until their owners came to claim them and paid a fine for any damage caused by them. Other uses of the Pound House included it being the home of the local cider press. Two of the local farms used to have large orchards and the job of pressing them for manufacturing cider took place here.

Old field names suggest that a windmill for grinding corn once stood in Rame in the area near The Knowle. No remains of the tower are visible today.

Rame was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as belonging to Tavistock Church and having a value of 40 shillings.

Beaches in the parish of Rame include Kingsand and Cawsand and the small sandy cove of Polhawn, overlooked by Polhawn Fort, now a residential dwelling.

Rame Head is a magnificent headland crowned by a ruined chapel to St Michael. Click on the link Rame Head to view details.